'AB InBev loses Budweiser name case'

30 July, 2010

Global brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev has suffered a defeat in a long-running battle over the rights to the Budweiser beer brand. The European Court of Justice has ruled that AB InBev cannot have exclusive European rights to the Budweiser name. The ruling comes 14 years after its initial application to register the name as an EU trademark was blocked by Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar.Budvar also uses the Budweiser name in several European markets. The ruling, which agreed with an earlier decision by the European General Court, means that Budvar retains exclusive rights to the Budweiser name in Germany - BBC

Quarterly beer sales are up on 12 months ago for the first time in four years, boosted by the World Cup and the unusually hot weather. But supermarkets and shops drove the surge in sales as drinkers saved money by staying at home, with shoppers accounting for the retailers' 13.7% rise in sales the second quarter - The Guardian

More than a third of young people suffer from high blood pressure, according to a survey released today. A worrying 35 per-cent of those aged 16-34 have hypertension, despite the widespread belief that it is an 'old age' problem - Daily Mail

Off-licence staff refused to sell booze to a grey-haired pensioner - even after he showed his OAP bus pass and birth certificate. Chris Page, 67, was challenged when he tried to buy a £2.55 bottle of cider from a shopping centre store - The Mirror

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